A Guide to Finding the Best Value Wine

By Paul Gregutt

Getty

How happy is the felicitous life of a wine writer! To paraphrase the iconic rock band Dire Straits, it’s money for nothing and your wines for free. But, the reality is that the wines aren’t free. They’re samples to be opened, tasted under blind conditions and then disposed. Often wistfully so.

The truth is that wine writers are also wine consumers. We purchase the wines we want to share, cellar and drink. And like any consumer, we want value. We want to strike gold with every bottle.

Now, value wines are not always cheap, and cheap wines are not always good values. But you can avoid a lot of ordinary vino if you follow a few guidelines.

Beware of generic phrases like “Barrel Select,” or “Winemaker’s Selection.” While the wine may indeed be a special selection, more often, the winery is simply talking up juice that it didn’t pour down the drain. To get to the bottom of the wine’s breeding, ask why and how the “selection” was made. Same is true for “reserve” bottles, a label that is largely unregulated for New World wines and essentially meaningless unless supported by details.

How many bottles or cases were produced? Check the back label. Production of a few hundred cases or a low number of bottles indicates that the wine is truly limited, which means there’s a better chance that it’s indeed a cut above the regular bottling.

Gold medals? They’re a dime a dozen. Unless you know how the judging is conducted, or if this competition or organization has a reputation for finding excellent wines, such awards are no guarantee of quality. Too many medals can actually be a warning sign. Top wineries rarely enter such competitions. Those that do often pay a fee. Entrants know that these competitions typically seek to award as many medals as possible—bronze, silver, gold, double gold, platinum, best in category, best in show and on they go.

What about scores? Scores can be helpful, which we certainly hope is the case for our own Wine Enthusiastratings and reviews. But you have to pay close attention and trust your source. You want to see a proven track record, credentialed reviewers and well-defined methodologies. Consider if a reviewer’s recommendations often line up with your own tastes. There’s little value in scores derived from crowd-sourced notes, blogs or, worse yet, wine sellers themselves. And beware of sneaky marketers or retailers—always make sure that a promoted score and/or review are for the exact same wine and vintage you purchase.

Lastly, to be a socially conscious consumer, be sure to check back labels for other information. Regulated credentials, like certifications from Ecocert, Demeter, SIP, LIVE and Salmon-Safe, indicate that extra care was taken in the vineyard.

Reviews wines from Oregon and Canada.

Paul Gregutt is a Contributing Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, a founding member of the magazine’s Tasting Panel, and reviews the wines of Oregon and Canada. The author of the critically-acclaimed Washington Wines & Wineries—The Essential Guide, he consulted on the Pacific Northwest entries in current versions of The World Atlas of Wine and The Oxford Companion to Wine.